Quote Originally Posted by Anonymous. View Post
...I feel bad for places like this and most of downtown. A random event can send thousands to the area at a time that is normally zombieland. Until we get a concetrated amount of people down here, businesses will have to pay attention and staff according to every single event. It is almost a full time job trying to figure out what events are when and where...
Truth. For many years I one of the main ways I've found to predict survival of businesses in Bricktown, prior to the explosion of new places in other districts, is how they respond to this unique challenge. Being open and understaffed on a huge event night in some ways even worse than being closed.

Almost without exception restaurant turnover downtown is heavily related to operators who don't adapt properly to the market, which is different from the rest of town.

The problem is that restaurant managers generally come from a more traditional background elsewhere. Culturally they are used to a very different style and pattern of staffing. Those who adapt well to the realities of downtown traffic are the ones who survive and thrive. There is more opportunity downtown...if you are there to capture the business WHEN THE BUSINESS IS THERE. And you also have to plan well for the ebbs - which are more pronounced - and react correctly when they happen.